2007 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX brakes

Make sure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P)
before starting the engine. The vehicle has
an automatic transaxle shift lock control system.
You must fully apply your regular brakes rst
and then press the shift lever button, located on
the front of the shift lever, before you can shift from
PARK (P) when the ignition key is in RUN.
If the vehicle cannot be shifted out of PARK (P),
ease pressure on the shift lever by pushing it
all the way into PARK (P) as you maintain brake
application. Then press the shift lever button
and move the shift lever into another gear.
SeeShifting Out of Park (P) on page 117.
REVERSE (R):Use this gear to back up.
Notice:Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your
vehicle is moving forward could damage
the transaxle. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Shift to
REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped.
To rock the vehicle back and forth to get out of
snow, ice or sand without damaging the transaxle,
seeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow on page 316.NEUTRAL (N):In this position, the engine does
not connect with the wheels. To restart when
the vehicle is already moving, use NEUTRAL (N)
only. Also, use NEUTRAL (N) when the vehicle
is being towed.
{CAUTION:
Shifting into a drive gear while your
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is rmly on
the brake pedal, your vehicle could move
very rapidly. You could lose control and
hit people or objects. Do not shift into a
drive gear while your engine is running at
high speed.
Notice:Shifting out of PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) while the engine is running at
high speed may damage the transaxle.
The repairs would not be covered by your
warranty. Be sure the engine is not running at
high speeds when shifting your vehicle.
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DRIVE (D):This position is for normal driving. It
provides the best fuel economy for your vehicle. If
the vehicle needs more power for passing, and it is:
Going less than 35 mph (55 km/h), push the
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push
the accelerator pedal all the way down.
The vehicle will shift down to the next gear and
have more power.
Downshifting the transaxle in slippery road
conditions could result in skidding, see Skidding
underLoss of Control on page 301.
Notice:If your vehicle seems to start up
rather slowly or not shift gears when you go
faster, and you continue to drive your vehicle
that way, you could damage the transaxle.
Have your vehicle serviced right away. You can
drive in SECOND (2) when you are driving
less than 35 mph (55 km/h) and DRIVE (D) for
higher speeds until then.THIRD (3):This position is also used for normal
driving. However, it reduces vehicle speed more
than DRIVE (D) without using your brakes. You
might choose THIRD (3) instead of DRIVE (D)
when driving on hilly, winding roads, when towing a
trailer, so there is less shifting between gears, when
going down a steep hill and when driving on
non-highway scenarios (i.e. city streets etc.).
SECOND (2):This position reduces vehicle speed
even more than THIRD (3) without using your
brakes. You can use SECOND (2) on hills. It can
help control the vehicle’s speed as it goes
down steep mountain roads, but then you would
also want to use the brakes off and on.
Notice:Driving in SECOND (2) for more than
25 miles (40 km) or at speeds over 55 mph
(90 km/h), can cause damage to your engine
and/or transaxle. Also, shifting into SECOND (2)
at speeds above 65 mph (105 km/h) can cause
damage. Drive in DRIVE (D) instead of
SECOND (2).
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FIRST (1):This position reduces vehicle speed
even more than SECOND (2) without using
your brakes. It can be used on very steep hills, or
in deep snow or mud. If the shift lever is moved
to FIRST (1), while the vehicle is moving forward,
the transaxle will not shift into rst gear until
the vehicle is going slowly enough.
Notice:Spinning the tires or holding the
vehicle in one place on a hill using only the
accelerator pedal may damage the transaxle.
If you are stuck, do not spin the tires. When
stopping on a hill, use the brakes, or parking
brake to hold the vehicle in place.
Performance Shifting with TAP-Shift®
If the vehicle is equipped with the 3800 V6
Supercharged engine or the 5.3L V8 engine, your
vehicle may have this feature. It allows you to
change gears similar to a manual transaxle.
To fully use this feature, do the following:
1. The MANUAL (M) position can be selected
while the vehicle is moving. The current
transaxle position will continue to be displayed
on the Driver Information Center (DIC) and
Head-Up Display (HUD), if equipped.2. Move the shift lever
to the MANUAL (M).
3. The paddles are
located on the
steering wheel.
They are used to
up-shift or down-shift
the transaxle.
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Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you do not shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl
in the transaxle. You may nd it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called torque
lock. To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake
and then shift into PARK (P) properly before you
leave the driver’s seat. To nd out how, seeShifting
Into Park (P) on page 116.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift
lever out of PARK (P)beforeyou release the
parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have
another vehicle push your vehicle a little uphill
to take some of the pressure from the parking pawl
in the transaxle, so you can pull the shift lever
out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of Park (P)
The vehicle has an automatic transaxle shift lock
control system which locks the shift lever in
PARK (P) when the ignition is in OFF. In addition,
the regular brakes must be fully applied before
shifting from PARK (P) while the ignition is in RUN.
SeeAutomatic Transaxle Operation on page 110.
If the vehicle cannot be shifted out of PARK (P),
ease pressure on the shift lever and push the
shift lever all the way up into PARK (P) as brake
application is maintained. Then move the shift lever
into the desired gear.
If the brake pedal is held down but the vehicle still
cannot be shifted out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key to ACC or RUN.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of
Step 4.
3. Shift the transaxle to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the desired
transaxle gear.
5. Have the system xed as soon as possible.
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The CRUISE SET message will also appear
briey on the Head-Up Display (HUD), if your
vehicle has one, when the cruise control lever is
pushed to the minus (set) or the plus
(resume/accelerate) positions.
A cruise control light will also appear on the
instrument panel cluster when the cruise control is
on. This light will disappear when the brakes
are applied or the cruise control is cancelled. It will
reappear when the set cruise speed is resumed.
The light will go out when the cruise control is
turned off. SeeCruise Control Light on page 185.
Resuming a Set Speed
Once you are going about 25 mph (40 km/h) or
more, you can move the cruise control switch
briey from on to resume/accelerate.
Your vehicle will go back up to your previously
chosen speed and stay there.
If you hold the switch at resume/accelerate the
vehicle will keep going faster until you release the
switch or apply the brake. Do not hold the
switch at resume/accelerate, unless you want the
vehicle to go faster.
Increasing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:
Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher
speed. Press the set button at the end of the
lever, then release the button and the
accelerator pedal. You will now cruise at the
higher speed. If the accelerator pedal is
held longer than 60 seconds, cruise control
will turn off.
Move the cruise switch from on to resume/
accelerate. Hold it there until you get up to the
speed desired, and then release the switch.
To increase the vehicle speed in very small
amounts, move the switch briey to resume/
accelerate. Each time you do this, your vehicle
will go about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.
The acceleration feature will only work after the
cruise control speed has been set by pushing the
cruise control set button.
142

Reducing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce the vehicle’s speed
while using cruise control:
Press and hold the set button until you reach
the lower speed desired, then release it.
To slow down in very small amounts,
briey press the set button. Each time you do
this your vehicle will slow down about
one mph (1.6 km/h).
Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase the vehicle’s
speed. When you take your foot off the pedal,
the vehicle will slow down to the cruise control
speed set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well the cruise control will work on hills
depends upon the vehicle’s speed, its load, and
the steepness of the hills. When going up
steep hills, the accelerator pedal might have to be
used in order to maintain the vehicle’s speed.
When going downhill, the brakes might have to be
applied, or the transaxle might have to be
shifted to a lower gear to keep the vehicle’s speed
down. Doing either of these things will take the
vehicle out of cruise. It may be better not to
use the cruise control if the brakes constantly have
to be applied, or the vehicle continuously needs
to be shifted to a lower gear.
Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal
Move the cruise control switch to off
Erasing Speed Memory
When the cruise control or the ignition is turned
off, the cruise control set speed memory is erased.
143

{CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working
properly if the brake system warning light
is on. Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to an accident.
If the light is still on after you have pulled
off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
Anti-Lock Brake System
Warning Light
If the vehicle has the
Anti-lock Brake System
(ABS), this light will
come on when the
engine is started and
may stay on for several
seconds. That is normal.If the ABS warning light comes on and stays on,
there may be a problem with the anti-lock
portion of the brake system. If the brake system
warning light is not on, the vehicle still has brakes,
but it does not have anti-lock brakes. SeeBrake
System Warning Light on page 176.
If the light stays on, the vehicle needs service.
If the light comes on while the vehicle is being
driven, stop as soon as possible and turn the
ignition off. Then start the vehicle again to reset the
system. If the light still stays on, or comes on again
while driving, the vehicle needs service. If the
regular brake system warning light is not on, the
vehicle still has brakes, but it does not have
anti-lock brakes. If the brake system warning light is
also on, the vehicle does not have anti-lock brakes
and there is a problem with the regular brakes. See
Brake System Warning Light on page 176. If both
the brake system warning light and the anti-lock
brake system light is on, pull off the road and have
the vehicle towed for service.
The anti-lock brake system warning light will come
on briey when the ignition key is turned to
RUN. This is normal. If the light does not come on
then, have it xed so it will be ready to warn
you if there is a problem.
177

Low Tire Pressure Warning Light
This light should come
on briey as you start
the engine.
This light will also come on when one or more of
your tires is signicantly under-inated. Stop and
check your tires as soon as it is safe to do so.
If underinated, inate them to the proper pressure.
SeeTires on page 400for more information. This
light will ash for 60 seconds and then turn on solid
if a problem is detected with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System. SeeTire Pressure Monitor System
on page 409for more information.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Warning Light
If the vehicle has the
Traction Control
System (TCS), this light
may come on for the
following reasons:
The traction control button, located on the
center console, is pressed, turning the
system off. The light will stay on. To turn the
system back on, press the button again
and the warning light should go out. See
Traction Control System (TCS) on page 292
for more information.
If there is a brake system problem that is
specically related to traction control, the TCS
will turn off and the warning light will come on.
If the brakes begin to overheat, the TCS will
turn off and the warning light will come on until
the brakes cool down.
If the TCS warning light comes on and stays on
for an extended period of time when the system is
turned on, the vehicle needs service.
178